Not only was she Vogue’s cool blonde, but she’s duality incarnated. Patti Hansen has a chiseled, open broad face, yet dainty features; she’s simultaneously the wholesome girl next door, with an athletic build, and a wild seductress with pillow lips and large feral eyes. The hottest thing to ever come out of Staten Island was scouted and signed to Wilhelmina ASAP at 16. In the 70’s she had a wild child reputation, often running around sets naked. In her defense she’s a Pisces and was born on Saint Patrick’s Day, the odds were stacked against her.
This hot girl is one of the most iconic glamour supermodels to come out of the disco decade and muse for the likes of Andy Warhol, Arthur Elgort and Richard Avedon, she still graces the biggest covers to this day (In Style, Playgirl, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ to name a few) and has been the face of major campaigns (Revlon, Versace, Dior, Calvin Klein). A Studio 54 legend Patti can pull off any hairstyle (layered, long, pixie), beat cancers ass twice and is one half of one of my favorite love stories with her marriage to rock god Keith Richards. Her family didn’t approve of their courtship, a meeting that ended with Keith smashing a guitar and Patti crying, but true love persevered. The soulmates who met when Richards got her a bottle of champagne at Studio 54 have been married for nearly forty years. The supermodel rockstar pair have two kids, which hasn’t stopped her from being the subject and muse of eponymous book by Ivan Shaw and strutting down runways, despite living a quieter life. Rock goddess, free spirit, reformed party girl, call her what you want, but once a bad bitch, always a bad bitch. Which Patti shoot is your favorite? Photos: Cosmopolitan, Calvin Klein, Getty Images, Vogue and Richard Avedon